Wuthering Heights -《Far From The Madding Crowd》

01. Gather Ye Wild
02. The Road Goes Ever on
03. Tree
04. Longing for the Woods Part I - the Wild Children
05. Highlands Winds
06. Longing for the Woods Part II - the Ring of Fire
07. The Bollard
08. Bad Hobbits Die Hard
09. Longing for the Woods Part III - Herne's Prophecy
10. Land of Olden Glory
11. Lament for Lorien

來自丹麥首都哥本哈根的Wuthering Heights，就筆者的印象而言，應可堪稱為丹麥出產的第一支Symphonic Speed/Progressive metal樂團，在近來這波追逐跟風的交響速金熱潮中，Wuthering Heights於首張專輯中的優異表現，可說就顯得革外的耀眼！

Wuthering Heights最初是由吉他手Erik Ravn於90年代初所組成，不過最早時的團名為Minas Tirith，而樂團在92年時自行錄製了《Tales From The Woods》的demo tape，在此時期是由Erik兼任keyboard及主唱。之後，樂團更名為Vergelmir，94、95年時樂團進入哥本哈根著名的Sweet Silence錄音室錄製了一張promotion tape，此張tape在歐洲地下金屬樂界的流傳也使得樂團開始受到注意。

1996、 97年時可說是樂團的轉淚點，Wuthering Heights被邀請參與由Serious Entertainment公司發行的合輯CD《Extremity Rising Vol. 2》，其中所被收錄的曲子正是樂團代表作之一的《Sorrow In Memoriam》。

97年夏天，WH終於得到德國一家唱片公司的 合約，在經過團員大幅換血之後(原始成員僅剩Erik及鼓手Kenneth Saandvig兩人)，終於錄製完成demo CD《Within》，然而WH更朝向speed progressive metal的發展，與唱片公司期望他們改走gothic/ symphonic metal的路線不同，因而使得合作關係宣告破裂。

我相信Wuthering Heights是一個值得令人期待的樂團，或許在目前來說，他們在樂器彈奏的成熟度上和一些知名大團比較起來，仍是有努力的空間，但就編曲概念而言，WH確實有其獨到且吸引人之處！

Longing For The Woods - Part I: The Wild Children :
In their veins still runs the blood of the wild
Weep within their hearts the earliest of songs
In their eyes the light of the first of days
But the road is hidden
And they are so far, so far away

Staring into darkness... Something stirs inside
A longing for something left long ago
Delving into darkness... Cannot stay inside
The moon is young and clear
And the fire is drawing them near

Now the wind calls
A storm from the past
Night falls
And they're longing for the woods
They gather in the shadows
In their eyes a fire light
Warrioes and maidens fair
Binded by a love implied

Now the wind calls...

In the shade i stand and watch them
Like a scene from an ancient dream
Trying hard to awaken the Gods
In the hour of the fall
But it was long ago and it was far away
Will anyone hear the wild children's call

Longing For The Woods - Part II: The Ring Of Fire :
In my veins still runs tha blood of the wild
Deep within my heart the earliest of songs
In my eyes the light of the first of days
But the road is hidden
And i'm so far, so fara away

Turning another page in the book
I'm beginning to wonder
Does it get any better or worse that this

Searching for motiver to stop me from screaming
Don't know when I awoke
Just know i was better off dreaming

I am the Wanderer
I've seen many a shore
But the road I long the most to go
Is closed for evermore

Now the wind calls
A storm from the past
Night falls
And i'm longing for the woods

I believe if I found the lost road back
I would see myself in that ring of fire
Maybe that's what I fear the most
For then I am now only a ghost

Now the wind calls...

I left my heart in the woods
Will it ever be found again

Happy was i then and hopeful
Trusted in the morning light
Now the sun warms me no longer
Though painfully bright

Roaming am I now and lost
And buried down in the fire
Could it be lit just one more time
Then let it be my pyre

Now the wind calls...

Longing For The Woods - Part III: Herne's Prophecy :
I met the old man
In the dephts of the woods
He said: i'll show thee a bit of the future
If perchance thou wilt listen

[THE WANDERER:]
"The journey it has been so long
Is it the end that we feel drawing nearer
Though we keep learning more
Nothing sseems to get any clearer"

[THE HUNTER:]
"Man he must search his heart
Though he will not like waht he findeth
I can tell him no truth
That he doth not already know"

"Turn the ghostship around
Climb back into the cradle
At least to die in dignity
Surrender now or be brought home in chains
The Motherspirit will conquer all
With or without thee the kingdom shall fall"

[THE WANDERER:]
"Can it be done, can the Gods be awoken
Can we rewrite the tale, is the cradle not broken"

[THE HUNTER:]
"Not all the future is equally clear
IF may be the end that you feel drawing near
Search in your hearts
If they still hold the truth
The voice from the past is the future
The longing for the woods"

And the old man, lord of the hunters of old
Disappeared in the depths of the woods
Left me with a strange sensation
That maybe one day
Maybe one day

The wind calls
A storm from the past
Night falls
And we are longing for the woods